BACK AT THE TRACK IN TULARE: AFTER DODGING THE RAIN THE JJR #41 TEAM PICKS UP A 12TH PLACE FINISH AT THUNDERBOWL RACEWAY TO KICK OFF THE WEST COAST SWING OF THE WoO TOUR IN CALIFORNIA

TULARE, CALIFORNIA (March 9, 2019) – After rained washed out
the kickoff show on Friday night at Thunderbowl Raceway, Mother Nature played
nice and gave the promoters and track crew a chance to groom the high banked,
third-mile oval for some racing action on Saturday evening. There were 33 teams
ready to roll in the pit area and one of those was the JJR’s Mesilla Valley Transportation
(MVT)/AutoMeter #41 Maxim for David Gravel. Philip and the JJR crew were
ready to go racing in California.

Gravel would be the 11th car out for his two time trial
laps. After hot laps were completed the team went to work to prepare their Kistler Engines powered Maxim Racing machine for the individual
performance part of the show. When Californian Cory Eliason wrapped up his two
laps, it was the Watertown, Connecticut drivers turn in the Dissolvalloy Downhole Revolution/Weikert’s
Livestock #41. His engine came to life and he did what he does best . . .
go fast and turn left. He completed two good laps with the quicker of the two
coming in at 14.576 seconds. When the last driver out stopped the clock, Gravel’s
fastest lap was 12th quick overall.

With the first two heat races in the books, it started
raining forcing a delay in the action. The promoter and track crew worked
diligently to recover the surface when the precipitation stopped and gave the
drivers a good track to race on. Drivers in the last two heat races were
afforded the opportunity to hot lap again on the recovered surface before the
heat races pushed off. Gravel would be in the fourth and final heat race and
roll off third aboard the All Pro Auto
Reconditioning/Cody Monoco Racing #41 Maxim as he shared the second row with
Terry McCarl. Polesitter Carson Macedo led the field to the green flag with Kasey
Kahne following close behind. Gravel entered low going into turn one and seized
the show position behind Macedo and Kahne. He was able to close the gap on
Kahne for the runner-up position momentarily as Macedo checked out. When the black
and white cloth flew over heat race action it was Macedo taking the win on
Kahne, Gravel and McCarl with Brent Marks claim the fifth and final transfer
spot.

After a short break, track officials kept the show moving
forward as the 35-lap feature event was called to the staging area. After
making final adjustments on the J.R.C. Transportation,
Inc./Durst Inc. #41 Maxim it was time to go racing California style. Ian Madsen
and Daryn Pittman were on the front row as the JJR #41 lined up on the outside
of row six. Madsen took command of the lead on the opening lap as Gravel went
to work. He was fast and was able to move forward in the early to middle stages
of the race. Madsen built a big lead as he maneuvered through lapped traffic in
the waning stages of the event. Gravel would start to fade slightly at the end
as Madsen took the win over Pittman, Sheldon Haudenschild and Brad Sweet with
Tim Shaffer coming home sixth. Gravel was able to finish in the twelfth
position and will now focus ahead to next weekend’s racing action at Silver
Dollar Speedway on Friday night and the Stockton Dirt Track on Saturday night.
Come out and catch up with David Gravel and the JJR team!

A 12th Place Finish at Thunderbowl Raceway for Gravel and the JJR Crew to Kickoff California Spring Swing!